Seven dead and 21 injured after horror crash in rally car race

Seven people have been killed and a further 21 injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a rally car event in Sri Lanka on Sunday, April 21.

Four of the people killed at the Fox Hill Supercross race were officials - an eight-year-old girl was among the other three causalities. In addition to this, some of those who were injured are thought to be ‘fighting for their lives’ in hospital [via The Sun]. Five were killed instantly at the scene - the other two died later in hospital.

Currently, details regarding the driver whose car ploughed into the crowd remain unclear - it is also not known as to whether he will face criminal prosecution or not. Nevertheless, a full-scale police investigation will be conducted into the incident.

The crash is said to have taken place shortly after a leading car had overturned in the middle of the track. Following this, the car in question hit a dirt embankment, lost control and drove into people in attendance.

Organised by the Sri Lankan military on one of their bases in Diyatalawa, the Fox Hill Supercross race featured around 150 cars and 120 motorbikes, with drivers travelling from all over south eastern Asia to take part in the event. Over 100,000 had gathered to watch the races -following the crash, however, all further races at the event have now been suspended indefinitely.

While it was organised by the Sri Lankan military, the Sri Lankan Automobile Sports Association ran the event and have done so since 1993. Due to restrictions put in place as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, this was the first race since 2019. Much criticism has been aimed at the safety protocols, as well as the lack of barriers to protect the crowds from speeding vehicles on the track.